Automatic washing apparatus



Oct. 3, 1950 E. c. WEISKOPF AUTOMATIC WASHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 31,1946 iY V/III I I IAm lilll! Fig.

INVENTOR EDWIN C. WEISKOPF ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 3, 1950 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC WASHING APPARATUS Edwin C. Weiskopf, New York,N. Y. Application August 31, 1946, Serial No. 694,188

My present invention relates to automatic washing apparatus intended.primarily for cleaning pipettes.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a pipettewasher which, operating upon the principle of the siphon, is of suchcharacter as to have a rapid operating cycle including, especially, avery rapid dischargeof the water or other washing liquid. In the use ofthe apparatus for washing pipettes, the latter are disposed insubstantially vertical position within the containe'r in which water orother washing liquid is admitted and periodically discharged by siphonaction whereby the pipettes are washed both internally and externallythereof by the Water- 4 Claims. (01. 137-106) which flows upwardly inthe container around and through the pipettes and downwardly in thecontainer around and through the pipettes. The

rapid discharge operation of the washer, in accordance with myinvention, not onlydecreases the washing time but also improves thewashing and' cleaning of the pipettes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a washer which has arapid operating cycle and which can be of small size whereby the washeris highly eflicient and effective and yet takes up but little space.

The above and other objects, features, and ad vantages of the inventionwill be fully understood from the following description considered withreference to the accompanying illustrative drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a, side view of the washer, the outer casing or jacket beingcut away for the purpose of illustration; V

Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view of the washer and also shows apipette rack or holder in position in the washer;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the washer;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the automatic washing apparatusof thepresent invention comprises a container [0 which, as here shown,is preferably cylindrical but which can be of any other suitable form.Said container is open at the top and has a closed bottom l2 spaced fromthe lower end of the supporting base M which is preferably, but notnecessarily, an in-' tegral' part of the container cylinder. Saidcontainer is provided'with a liquid inlet [6 and with a plurality ofliquid outlet openings 18, all located near the bottomof the container.The liquid outlet openings I 8 are each larger than the liquid inlet l6so that the outflow or discharge,

when it occurs, is at a faster rate than the inflow. Outlets l8 are, ofequal size and are located at the same level in the container.

The discharge of liquid from container I0 is effected automatically andperiodically by siphon action, and'in accordance with this invention, bya plurality of siphonsyZll each of which is,con-

nected to a companion outlet opening [8. Siphons are co-equal oridentical' in size and arrangement for operation in unison. Each siphonincludes an up-leg 22, the lowerend of which communicates with theinterior of container Ill through the companion opening l8, and adownleg 24 which is longer thanithe up-leg. The open lower ends of thesiphon down-legs are preferably connected to'a common discharge spout orcoupling 26. 1

An equalizing tube 28 of smaller cross section or diameter than the tubeof the siphon 2D is connected at its opposite ends to the siphons 20,re-

spectively, forming a fluid-passage therebetween.

More particularly, tube 28 is connected to the uplegs of said siphons atthe upper ends thereof just below theU-bends 3ll-of the siphons. A tube32 is connected at its upper end to tube 28, between the opposite endsof the latter, and at its lower end to an opening 40 in container Ill,forming a fluid-passage between the latter and tube 28. Opening 40 islocatedabove outlet or discharge openings I8 so that when theliquid incontainer Ill drops to the point of said opening 40, in the dischargeaction of siphons 20, said opening 40 constitutes a vent to cause thesimultaneous cutolf or interruption of the siphon-discharge op-yerations of both siphons.

The washing apparatus is preferably provided, as shown, with an outerenclosing casing or jacket 42 including a cylinder '44 and upper andlower annular closure membersor plates 46 and 48. Said jacket isprovided with an opening 5!! for the liquid supply tube 52, and with anopening 54 for the discharge spout 0r coupling 26. Said jacket enclosesthe siphons and the tubes 28 and 32, thus preventing damage to thelatter and eliminating externally projecting parts.

Provision is made for removably supporting a multiplicity of pipettes orarticles within con-' tainer Ill. For this purpose there is preferablyutilized a rack 53; Saidrack comprises a bottom I 55 whichis formed ofwire mesh or is otherwise perforated to permit the passage of liquidtherethrough. Said bottom is connected to a metal frame consisting ofside bands 56 having outwardly bent or offset portions 58 and with anupper bent part to form a handle 60. 'A'plurality of spaced rings 62 aresecured to side straps 56 for holding the pipettes or other articles inthe rack. An annular member 84 is secured at the upper end of the rackto the outwardly offset portions 58.

It will be understood that the pipettes or other articles are placed inthe rack endwise as illustrated in Fig. 2 wherein a few of such articlesare indicated at P. Rack 53 is removably supported within containe ID byannular member 64 which rests on the upper surface of annular plate 46.Further, it will be understood that a plurality of racks for containingthe pipettes or other articles to be washed can be provided forreceiving such articles subsequently to be washed, and that as soon as arack is partially or completely filled with such articles, the rack canbe placed within the container ill for subjecting the articles to thewashing operation.

The method of washing the pipettes P or other articles by means of theapparatus of this invention will now be described. The pipettes or otherarticles open at both ends are placed end-wise in the container it]carried by the rack or supported at their-lower ends by plate 5 so thatthe opposite ends of the articles are atdifierent levels. Water or othercleaning liquid is caused to flow intocontainer it through tube 52 andmay be permitted to flow continuously throughout the operation of theapparatus. When the liquid reaches a level in container 18 above theU-bends 30 of the siphons, the liquid automatically flows out ofcontainer it through the siphons. While the liquid is flowing out ofcontainer HI, however,- liquid continuesto flow into the same throughtheinlet is, and the filling and emptying action continues repeatedly,the emptying of the container being periodically interrupted until thelevel of the liquid in container it becomes high enough to start theemptying siphon action. Tubes 28 and 30 provide for action of siphons E0in unison,

both siphons being interrupted in their discharge ctions when the liquidin container i9 drops to the level of vent opening ii]. Also, it appearsthat during the discharge action of the siphons,

liquid flows out of tube 32, as the result'of the aspirator effect ofthe'siphons; into tube 28 and from the latter into the siphon tubes thustending to equalize the discharge action of the twosiphons. As theliquid rises in the container, during the periods between siphondischarge, and falls in the container, during the periods of siphondischarge, said liquid flows upwardly around and through the pipettesand downward- 1y around and through the pipettes. The downfl'ow ofliquid around and through the pipettes is more rapid than the inflowwhereby to provide for theautomatic periodic interruption of thesiphon-discharge action, thus "to effect the periodic upfiow of liquidbetween the siphon discharge actions. The rapid downflow of the liquidby reason of the plurality of siphons 'enhances' the cleaning action anddecreases the Washing time; and this rapid downflow makesit' possible toadmit the water'into the container more rapidly than would otherwise bethe casewhereby'further to reduce the time of each operating cycle ofthe apparatus.

The invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein shown ordescribed-andvarious' changes in the form of the apparatus and in thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts may be made withoutdeparting from the underlying idea or principles of the inventionwithinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. Automatic washing apparatus, comprising a container provided with aliquid inlet and with a plurality of liquid outlets, siphons connectedto said outlets, respectively, said siphons having an intermittentdischarge operation in unison during flow of liquid into the containerfor periodically discharging the liquid from said container, and meansfor interrupting the discharge operation of both of said siphons at thesame time when the liquid in the container drops to a predeterminedlevel, said last mentioned means comprising means forming a fiuidpassage between said siphons above said liquid outlets of the container,and means forming a fluid passage between said first mentioned passageand said container at a point in the latter above said liquid outletsand below the upper ends of the up-legs of said siphons.

2. Automatic Washin apparatus comprising a container provided with aliquid inlet and with a plurality of liquid outlets, said outlets beingof the same size and at the same level in the container, co-equalsiphons connected to said outlets, respectively, said siphons having anintermittent discharge operation in unison during flow of liquid intothe container: for periodically discharging the liquid irom saidcontainer, and.

means for interrupting the discharge operation of both of said siphonsat the same time when the liquid in the container drops to apredetermined level, said last mentioned means comprising a tubeconnected at its opposite ends to the up-legs of the siphons,respectively, at points above said liquid outlets of the container andforming a fluid-passage between said uplegs, a vent opening in saidcontainer at a point above said liquid outlets and below the upper endsof said up-legs of said siphons, and-a tube connected at its oppositeends to said vent and to said first mentioned tube, respectively.

3. Automatic washing apparatus comprising a. container provided with aliquid inlet and with a plurality of liquid outlets, said outlets beingof the same size and at the same level in the con-- of, a vent openingin said container at a point above said liquid outlets and below theupper ends of said up-legs. of said siphons, and a tube connected at itsopposite ends to said vent and to said first mentioned tube,respectively.

4. Automatic washing apparatus, comprising a container provided with aliquid inlet and with a plurality of liquid outlets, siphons connectedto said outlets, respectively, said siphons having an intermittentdischarge operation in unison during flow of liquid into the containerfor periodically discharging the liquid from said container, and meansfor interrupting the discharge operation of both of "said siphons at thesame time when the liquid in the container drops to a predeterminedlevel, said last mentioned means comprising means forming a fluidpassage betweensaid, siphons above said liquid outlets of the con EDWINc. WEISKOPF. 10

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 974,336 Alt Nov. 1, 19101,721,797 Taylor July 23, 1929 2,089,303 Sica Aug. 10, 1937 2,345,284Myers Mar. 28, 1944 2,418,751

Brewer Apr. 18, 1947

